Immortal Kenshin
by kitten724
Summary: Yaoi! SanoKen, MethosKenshin Rated M for later chaps. Kenshin is an immortal. The year is 1998, Paris, where Kenshin will find friends both new and old. But what will happen when old enemies from Kenshin's past return? RK and Highlander crossover.
1. meetings

Immortal Kenshin

(Chapter One)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or Highlander.

'…' — Thoughts

"…" — Speech

_…_ -- Flashbacks

-- Scene change

Chapter One: Meetings

Methos was currently walking along the streets of Paris, planning on visiting his friend, Duncan MacLeod. He was not quite sure why, mind you, but Methos had a feeling that he would meet someone else on the way.

Both Methos and Duncan were immortals, Methos being the oldest immortal still alive, five thousand years old to be exact. Duncan was about to hit four hundred, even though neither of them looked to be older than about thirty-five. Immortals can only die when their head is severed from their body. They fight against each other, and then one cuts off the other's head and absorbs their power. But enough of this, there is a story to tell.

Methos sighed running a hand through his shortly cut brown hair, and then shoved both hands into the pockets of the fading blue jeans he was wearing, careful to avoid the sword he had strapped at his waist and hidden under the pale brown trench coat. He was startled when he felt another immortal's presence—for they can sense the approach of their own kind—and started to turn when he heard his name being called, only to have a smaller redheaded immortal leap into his arms.

"Wah- huh?" Methos stuttered. He looked down to his chest where he was met with a familiar shock of blood red hair that was tied into a high pony-tail on the other man's—for the figure was indeed male—head. "Ken- Kenshin?"

The man identified as Kenshin looked up at Methos, reluctantly detaching himself from around Methos' waist, and met shocked and confused brown eyes with his own soft violet, giving a wide smile and an enthusiastic nod. Methos' eyes drifted to the scar lying in plain sight on Kenshin's left cheek.

Methos gulped. 'Yep,' he thought. 'Definitely him. I've only met one person in my entire lifetime with those eyes and that scar. Him and him alone.' He finally took in Kenshin's appearance. He had on a pair of very baggy black gothic pants, a very tight no sleeved leather top that showed off his narrow chest, and a long black leather trench coat that Methos could tell hid his katana. The last time he saw Kenshin, he had been using a sakabato, but Methos had eventually managed to help Kenshin get over his past as the infamous Hitokiri Battousai, which allowed Kenshin to finally wield a true katana without regret or guilt. But as for his appearance, Methos decided that Kenshin was, for lack of a better word, exquisite. Intimidating but beautiful, feminine but masculine all at once.

"Konnichi-wa Methos-dono," Kenshin said, his warm smile never faltering. "How have you been these last two hundred years?"

Methos swallowed hard again and almost blushed when he realized he had been staring at Kenshin for a good two minutes. "I've been well Kenshin-kun, thank you for asking."

Kenshin started to giggle suddenly. He through his head back and flicked some of his bangs out of his eyes, still smiling broadly. "There is no need to be formal with me Methos-dono, that there is not. Just call me what you did all those years back."

"Well, if you say so Ken, I never could deny you anything," Methos shrugged it off casually. He then noticed something odd about Kenshin he had not seen before. It was a steel choker that was actually very thin, but it would still give ample protection if a sword were to hit it instead if Kenshin's bare neck.

He chuckled and asked, "Don't you think that counts as cheating Ken?" Kenshin tilted his head to the side at this. "I mean the collar that you're wearing."

"Ah," Kenshin said, nodding slightly, he continued as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, umm, see…" He trailed off as the two immortals felt yet another presence.

"Methos!"

Said man sighed in exasperation. "Well I sure am popular today, aren't I?" he mumbled lightly. He turned to look behind him to see Duncan running towards them, beginning to draw his sword. Methos silently thanked any power that was up there that the street they were on was completely deserted. 'Hey, wait a second,' Methos thought suddenly. 'If Mac's not coming after me, than what is he…'He then remembered that Kenshin was standing right behind him. 'Oh shit.' "Mac no!" Methos shouted. "Kenshin's a friend! Don't attack him!"

Duncan was next to Kenshin in a flash, his sword drawn and in his fighting stance.

"Oro?" Kenshin said, his eyes going wide. Methos burst out laughing at this old habit of Kenshin's. The other two men looked at him, Duncan dropping his fighting stance and Kenshin looking both shocked and confused at his old friend's antics.

"You still do that Ken?" Methos asked Kenshin, still laughing lightly. "Does anyone that hears it even know what it means anymore?"

Kenshin appeared to go into deep thought for a moment before saying, "I don't think they do, that they do not."

Duncan watched this little exchange suspiciously. He did not trust this 'Ken' guy at all; Methos had never talked about him before… And what was with the whole steel collar thing?

A hand thrusting itself into his line of vision interrupted his thoughts. He started and followed the hand into a leather clad arm, up to a narrow leather clad torso, his eyes finally coming to rest on the smiling face of Kenshin.

Kenshin's smile widened, his eyes closing, as he waited for Duncan to shake his hand in greeting. As Duncan complied, Kenshin spoke. "Konnichi-wa Duncan-san. My name is Himura Kenshin. I am pleased to meat you, that I am."

"Oh, umm, yeah. Same here, I guess," Duncan said slowly. 'Did he forget that I almost attacked him?'

"Incase you're wondering," Kenshin said, removing his hand from Duncan's. "I have not forgotten your attempt at attacking me, I just feel that we could start anew."

"Ah," Duncan said as he tried to process all that Kenshin had said. He cleared his throat and continued. "Well, I should be getting back to my barge now, umm, do you two want to come?"

Methos nodded with a quick "thanks Mac" and Kenshin bowed slightly. "Sessha would appreciate that very much, that he would."

So there they were, sitting inside of Duncan's barge, trying to catch up with what everyone had been doing. Duncan finally decided that he could trust Kenshin, well, as much as you could trust someone you have only known for about two hours.

Currently, the subject they were on was their love lives. Duncan noted dully that Kenshin had not said anything at all about his relationships with people.

"So Ken," Methos asked lightly. "What ever happened to that one boy you were with? What was his name again… Kanoske?"

Kenshin chuckled darkly and without any humor what so ever. "His name was Sanosuke. As for what happened to him, well I'd think that would be obvious, that it would. He's dead. He was murdered for courting the infamous Battousai." Methos noticed that Kenshin's eyes had started to tear at the mention of his old boyfriend. He then noticed that he had let the secret of Kenshin's homosexuality out.

Duncan frowned in confusion at Kenshin's last statement. "The Battousai? Do you mean the Hitokiri Battousai? The man who the entirety of Japan feared at the time I was there?"

Kenshin nodded, the tears still not escaping his eyes. "Hai, that I do, and that I am. Sano was my best friend at first, but then we developed feelings for each other, and then…" Kenshin trailed off.

_There was a loud bang and a flash of light and Kenshin stopped in his tracks. He looked behind him to see Sano, doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach._

_"SANO!" Kenshin yelled as he saw Sano fall to the ground. He rushed over to him and fell to his knees beside his koi. "Sano, are you alright? Please, answer me!"_

_Sano started to cough, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. He could see Kenshin kneeling over him, tears filling his eyes. "K-Kenshin? Koi? Please don't cry, I hate it when you cry. Please?" _

_Kenshin nodded. Sano then went into another coughing fit, his lifeblood spurting out of his mouth._

_"Sano?" Kenshin asked quietly._

_"Kenshin, promise me something. Swear to me that you'll move on to someone else. Swear to me that you won't blame yourself for this. Promise me Kenshin!"_

_Kenshin nodded again. "I-I promise Sano. But you can't die, that you most certainly cannot! I'll sacrifice myself if I have to!"_

_Sano gave a weak smile, cupping the left side of Kenshin's face and tracing the scar there he said, "Ashiteru Kenshin, my little swordsman. Oh Kami-sama I love you so much."_

_"I love you too Sanosuke, my brave fighter." Kenshin held Sano's hand that was cupping his cheek tightly, watching as Sano gave his famous grin one last time before his eyes closed and his breath stopped. "Sano? Sano, please don't leave me!" Kenshin released Sano's hand and buried his face in Sano's chest. "SANOSUKE!"_

Kenshin's delicate hands curled into fists as he stared at them throughout his explanation. Blood started running down his bare arms when his nails pierced the skin of his palms. Kenshin jumped when Methos covered his hands with his own.

"Don't do this to yourself Ken," Methos said sympathetically. "All of that's in the past now. Don't lose yourself in things you couldn't do anything about."

Kenshin let out a sob and latched himself around Methos' waist, the two of them completely forgetting that Duncan was sitting in a large chair across from their spot on the bed. 'So,' Duncan thought. 'This is what happened to the Hitokiri Battousai. His boyfriend got killed, he met Methos who apparently taught him the rules, and he ran off somewhere. Humph, some story.' He stood and began to make his way towards the door.

"Mac," Duncan turned as he heard Methos call his name. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Joe's," Duncan called over his shoulder. Methos flinched when he heard the front door slam shut.

'I hope he doesn't tell Joe about Kenshin.'

Duncan sat down on a stool at the bar, sighing heavily. Joe, who was behind the bar, walked over to where Duncan sat and asked, "Hey Mac, what's up? I haven't seen you looking this down in ages!"

Mentioned man glared at Joe. He sighed again, preparing to ask what he had come here to ask. "Hey Joe, do you know anything about an immortal named Kenshin Himura?"

Chapter One End

* * *

Kitten: Well, that's it for chater one!

Sano: glares...You killed me?

Kenshin: Sano, calm down...don't hurt yourself.

Sano jumps at Kitten in an attempt to kill her

Kitten: Oro!

Kenshin: Hey, that's my line! Jumps at Kitten to help Sano

Kitten: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! runs

R&R please!


	2. Findings

Chapter Two: Findings

Kitten: Hi again, sorry for the long update. I'm still in school, so I never have time to work on this...sorry again. Well, on with the fic!

Disclaimer: See chapter 1!

* * *

Kenshin was still clinging to Methos as though if he let go, he would fall to his death. He had stopped crying about five minutes ago, but Methos could still feel the wetness of Kenshin's tears on his shirt. Finally, after about two more minutes, Kenshin slowly let go of Methos, wiping at his eyes.

"I'm sorry, that I am," Kenshin said, his voice weak.

"For what?" Methos asked, confused.

"I got your shirt wet," Kenshin replied, not looking Methos in the eye. He started to pick at the wet spot on Methos' shirt absentmindedly. "I could wash it for you, that I could."

Methos sighed, catching Kenshin's hand in mid movement. "Kenshin, you really have to start thinking of yourself once in a while. For instance, do you have a place to stay?" Kenshin opened his mouth to speak, but Methos cut him off. "I mean a place other than a hotel."

Kenshin's mouth shut and he shook his head slowly, blushing lightly. Methos let out a sigh of frustration saying, "See Ken, this is exactly what I'm talking about! You always put everyone else before you whether you know them or not. Sometimes you have to switch it around, you know?" Kenshin nodded, still embarrassed by the fact Methos knew him so well, even though they had only met briefly. "Good. Now you can room with me." Kenshin started to object, but Methos cut him off once more. "Don't worry, I have plenty of spare rooms."

* * *

Joe let out a triumphant laugh as he managed to get the information on Kenshin Himura to come up on his laptop screen. "Got him!"

Duncan, who had been playing around with one of the many little gizmos Joe had lying around his bar, turned, startled by the sudden out burst from his friend. "What? You said you 'got him'? What… Oh, you mean you got the info."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Well what did you think I meant: I ran after him, picked him up, and just dragged him back here wile you weren't looking?" He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Now get over here and make sure he's the guy."

Duncan hastened to put down the trinket he was playing with and walked over to where Joe had set his laptop on one of the tables in the latter's bar. He was lucky that Joe was just closing down for the day when he had arrived, which meant that the bar was completely deserted. Duncan peered over his friend's shoulder and saw a painted picture of Kenshin in his original Japanese attire. Kenshin had the same hair, only it was tied up at the nape of his neck; the exact same eyes; and the exact same scar on his left cheek.

"Yeah," Duncan told Joe. "That's him alright."

Joe nodded, obviously proud of himself. "Well, let's see what his description has to say…

'Kenshin Himura

Birth date: unknown

Age at death: 29

During life, his parents were killed and, because of the circumstances, his teacher, Hiko, raised him. He eventually became the infamous Hitokiri Battousai, and though we are unsure of his reasons, he retired his career as the manslayer to become a wanderer. He gave up using a true katana (Japanese samurai sword) to use a sakabato (reverse bladed sword). After he mysteriously died—though we believe he was murdered trying to avenge the death of someone close to him—he started to travel again, learning the rules for the game of immortality from a currently unnamed source. He has been traveling around the world ever since.'

The description goes on for fifteen more pages, which I am not_—_I say _not—_going to repeat to you Duncan. If you really want that much info about him, I'll print out the rest of the pages for you."

Duncan blinked a few times, this new information processing in his head. He shook his head when he realized that he had not said anything. "Oh, yeah, sure. Go ahead and print it all if you can. Please."

Joe looked concerned when he asked, "You alright Mac? You seem really out of it today. You sick or something? I have some medicine in the cupboard behind you if you need it."

Duncan merely smiled and shook his head. "Nah, that's fine. I guess I'm just distracted 'cause of all that's been going on lately." In an attempt to change the subject, he continued, "So you can print all that stuff, right?"

Joe rolled his eyes again. "Of coarse I can. What do you take me for: a man that's completely and utterly technologically deprived? I think I know how to use a printer, Mac."

"Well then, get on with it!" Duncan said mockingly. Joe glared at him before hitting the print button on his keyboard.

* * *

"There we go," Methos said as he finished writing his letter to Duncan. In short, it said that he and Kenshin were going to his house so that Kenshin could get settled. "Now he won't worry too much."

"That's good, that it is." Kenshin frowned at Methos' choice of words. "But what do you mean exactly, 'too much'? He shouldn't worry at all, that he most certainly should not!"

Methos scratched the back of his neck lightly, saying, "Duncan worries about all the people he knows no matter what they tell him, even if he doesn't say anything about it." There was a long silence before Methos broke it. "So, should we be going now?"

Kenshin nodded, still convinced that they should go find Duncan and tell him where they were going to be. Sighing, he followed Methos out the front door to Duncan's barge, making sure it was securely locked behind him. After all, Duncan had let Kenshin into his house, and the latter had decided that he was not going to be the one to be held responsible if someone found his or her way into Duncan's home. He looked over his shoulder as he tested the knob to make sure that it was indeed locked to see Methos walking away with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, seeming like he did not have a care in the world. Kenshin sighed again, and, deciding that the door was locked tightly, ran to catch up with his friend. He would talk to Methos about taking care of other people's property when they reached the latter mentioned home… after they stopped at the hotel he was staying at to grab the small amount of belongings he had.

* * *

"Ah, home sweet home," Methos said as he laid down one of Kenshin's duffel bags—Kenshin had two; Methos carrying one as he carried the other—and stretched, a few slight cracks issuing from his back. It had been a long walk from Duncan's barge to the hotel and all the way to Methos' house. He looked at Kenshin who was standing in front of him and had yet to put down the black bag he was holding. "It's not much, but it's home." As an afterthought he added, "And cost a fair amount of money too."

Kenshin continued to look around him in awe. "I-it is huge, that it is." He turned to Methos suddenly. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I can go right back to the hotel if you want me to. Or I could, I could…"

He was cut off when Methos pressed a finger to his lips to silence him. "Or you could start thinking about yourself and accept my offer. Kay?" Methos lowered his hand away from Kenshin's mouth with a smile and a wink.

Kenshin's face suddenly reminded Methos of the tomatoes he bought the day before.

"H-hai. Sessha thinks he could accept that… if he would not be a problem for his host."

Methos rolled his eyes and ruffled Kenshin's bangs—this earned him a half-glare from the younger immortal—before walking in the direction of his undoubtedly large kitchen. "If you were going to be a problem, I wouldn't have let you stay here. Now put that bag down somewhere—I don't care where—and follow me so I can make us some dinner."

"Oro! Umm, h-hai!" Kenshin called after him. He looked around before setting his black bag down right next to the dark blue one Methos had insisted upon carrying and rushing in the direction that the older immortal had gone, smoothing his bangs as much as he could.

When he reached the kitchen, Kenshin did not quite manage to skid to a halt, and, with an almost timid "Oro!" finally crashed into Methos' back, and landed on his right arm.

Methos, feeling the bump to his back, turned to see Kenshin on the ground of his kitchen floor. "Oh! Damn, Kenshin are you okay?" He asked as he kneeled down next to Kenshin, preparing to pick him up off the floor. He tried to lift him up while holding Kenshin just below his arms, but he definitely was not expecting him to be so light. As such, he actually ended up throwing Kenshin into the air. With a squeal, Kenshin latched his arms around Methos' neck before he fell.

Kenshin let out a nervous laugh and slowly let go of Methos.

"Ken, I am so sorry! Are you all right? Tell me the truth, are you hurt?" Methos asked franticly. He was starting to remind Kenshin of Sano.

"Well," Kenshin started. "My shoulder may be a bit sore, but apart from that I am completely fine, that I am."

Methos let out a long whistle at this response. "That's good. Now, about that dinner…"

* * *

Duncan sighed and put down the small packet of papers that Joe printed out on his table. He was about to walk away when he noticed the letter Methos left him. He picked it up, read it over, read it over again, rolled his eyes, then crumpled up the note and tossed it over his shoulder in the general direction of the trash can.

He glowered at the papers on the table in front of him. Joe had even been so kind to print out all the pictures of Kenshin he could find.

Duncan propped his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hand while he stared at the picture lying on top of the papers. It was supposedly the last the Watchers had seen of Kenshin. Duncan's eyes drifted down to where the date of the picture was.

"Dec. 23, 1981… Wait… 1981! That's not possible! That's over fifteen years ago!" Duncan was now standing, bracing himself on the table. He sat back down with a _thump_, running his hand through his shoulder length black hair, sighing. "What have you been doing these past seventeen years, Kenshin, eh? Well, I'll find out… one way or the other."

* * *

"Hey Ken," Methos said lightly as he cleared the table. "Where do you work anyway? I'm just a bit curious, so you don't have to say…"

"I teach over at the collage, that I do," Kenshin answered with a smile. "Ancient Japanese History to be specific. Nothing much, but luckily for me, I don't need the history book." He stood from the table and went over to where Methos was standing by the sink where he was about to do the dishes. "Thank you for dinner Methos-dono. Would you like me to do the dishes?"

Methos merely shook his head. "Nah, I got it. Why don't you go prepare for your class tomorrow? You probably have a lot of work to do being a teacher and all."

"Hai, you are correct. I still have a few tests to grade… Do you know what time it is by any chance?"

Methos checked his watch. "Almost eight, why?" Kenshin sighed softly.

"Just curious." With that he walked back to the living room where they had placed his things. He reached into the larger bag and pulled out three manila folders held together by rubber bands, along with a red permanent marker and a calculator. Time to get to work.

* * *

Monday, the first day of the school week, and what many people believe to be the least lucky day out of the whole week. Now, Methos Stone usually was not superstitious, but he was almost ready to agree with the rest of the population. He told Kenshin that he would pick him up from the school when the day ended, and that was exactly where the problem was.

He had no idea when the school day was over. This was definitely _not_ his lucky day.

* * *

Kitten: Ah, second chapter done, finally!

Kenshin: I'm a collage teacher//turns into Battousai/

Kitten: R&R pwese! Preferably before he kills me...


	3. Capture!

Kitten: Hey again, well the story's moving. Slowly, but it's moving. Now, I shall amaze you with the third chapter of Immortal Kenshin! –Waves hands around as though trying to cast a spell- - in a pathetic attempt at a scary voice- Ooooooohhhhhhhh! I shall now call fourth the disclaimer of dooooooooooooooooom!

Disclaimer: She doesn't own RK or Highlander. The only thing she owns is the plot of this story, and the chump change in her coat pocket.

Kitten: On with the story!

Chapter 3: Capture!

Kenshin walked into the classroom ten minutes before the first bell rang. He sighed as he put his backpack down behind his desk positioned in the back right corner of the room so he could have a good view of the whole class and the door. He walked up to the large blackboard at the front of the room, writing out the days plans in Japanese characters on one side of the board, then translated them to English on the other. When he was done, he pulled the map down over the English side. The students had all asked him to teach them a bit of Japanese; so this is what he did everyday. He then made a student read the Japanese side first, and then showed them the English.

It was fairly amusing to watch, albeit a tad bit painful to hear them slaughter his native tongue.

The bell rang almost the instant he was finished, his large first period class rushing into the room. This class had at least one of the main kinds of people you find in a collage setting: The overly smart kid who thinks they know everything there is to know; the class clown; the group in the back that threw things at everyone else; the group of girls that just would not stop talking; and even the truly intelligent but geeky kid who sat as close to the teacher as possible to keep from getting picked on.

"Come now," Kenshin said from his spot at the board. "You should get settled now, that you should." Surprisingly enough, the class almost immediately stopped talking, even the group of girls. "Thank you, so, who should read the board…" He saw a small movement out of the corner of his eye, and knew exactly who it was. "How about you, Marcus-san?"

The young man stopped in his tracks, almost half way to the door. He turned slightly, catching the look Kenshin's eyes held, even though the latter was smiling.

Marcus gulped, looking back at the door, then at the board, back at the door and sighed, taking his seat. He began to read the characters out loud, Kenshin correcting him every now and then.

"That was well done Marcus-san, that it was. You are improving every time." Kenshin walked back to his desk after he said this, reached into his pack, and pulled out the tests he graded the night before. "I have all the tests graded, that I have, so please come here to receive it when your name is called. If you have any questions, consult me _after_ class if you will. Sarah Helen…"

Methos walked along the street in the direction of the college Kenshin was currently at. It was almost five o'clock, and according to the school's schedule he found online, the day would be over at about five-thirty. It was only a fifteen-minute walk from his house, but Methos saw nothing wrong with being a bit early.

He started to think of Kenshin again. For some reason, he just could not get the small man off his mind; with his red hair the color of fresh blood, his deep violet eyes, the cross shaped scar on his left cheek, his creamy pale skin, his slim figure with wide hips that swung seductively when he walked- 'Whoa!' Methos thought suddenly. 'Stop right there Methos! No need to be thinking of Ken right now…however sexy he is.'

He was jerked from his thoughts suddenly when he heard someone walking behind him. Now usually, this wouldn't be a strange thing, but considering the fact the street was completely deserted (the people _have_ to be avoiding him), as well as the small bit that his follower was obviously trying to sneak up on him… Well, you get the picture.

As he turned, he found his follower a bit closer than he thought they were. As in they were right behind him, holding what seemed to be a steel baseball bat over their head, preparing to strike. Methos only got his sword— it was hidden under his trench coat— half way out of its sheath before his attacker struck, hitting him in the head. He stumbled for a moment before falling to the ground, dead… for the moment.

Kenshin looked at his watch for the second time in the past five minutes. It was almost six o'clock, and he was starting to worry about Methos. Although they had only met briefly before, Kenshin had never known the elder immortal to be late…

He leaned back against the wall and sighed. It was no use worrying; Methos would get there when he got there. Not any sooner, or any later.

He looked at his watch again. 6:53. Kenshin sighed for what seemed the hundredth time and sat on a bench next to the main doors of the school. Maybe he should just start walking home. He would probably meet Methos on the way…if he were lucky.

With this thought in mind, Kenshin stood and began the fifteen-minute trek back to Methos' house.

When he got to the large house, he was now thoroughly concerned for his friend. He had not met him on the way, and as though the gods decided to taunt him today, he had found a large dried bloodstain on the sidewalk that had most certainly _not_ been there that morning. He walked up the front steps to the porch, grasped the brass doorknob tightly, took a deep breath, and twisted. Or at least, tried to. The knob wouldn't turn, which meant the door was locked, and that meant Methos wasn't home, for he had told Kenshin that he never locks the door when he's home. Luckily, he had also told Kenshin where to find the spare key. He said that it was in a secret compartment in the pillar on the right hand side of the front steps. After about five minuets of searching, Kenshin saw why Methos said the compartment was secret; he couldn't find it!

Kenshin growled in frustration, leaning his forehead against the hard wood of the pillar. He let out a yelp when the small section of wood suddenly moved, causing him to jump back in surprise. He looked at the pillar again, only this time, he could see the obvious knot in the otherwise smooth wood. He touched it lightly, snapping his hand back when the knot moved further into the pillar. He sighed and sent a silent curse to the one who was making his life so difficult, before pushing the knot all the way into the pillar, revealing a hole just large enough for his hand to reach in and fish around. And so he did, brushing away all the deserted spider webs and dust, finally managing to find the key in the small compartment.

He pulled out the key, glancing at the sidewalk to find a group of four girls walking past, watching him suspiciously. Resisting the sudden and strange urge to give them the finger, he stepped up to the front door, stuck the key in the lock, and turned the key until he heard a click. He then turned the handle, opened the door, and walked into the house, shutting the door behind him. To say the least, the scene he was met with was most certainly _not_ what he had expected…

Methos woke with a splitting headache, as well as a sore neck. It took him a while to realize that he was bound and gagged, and also in a strange warehouse that he had never seen before. He turned his head when he felt the presence of another immortal.

As soon as he turned his head, he saw a tall, well built man wearing a stiff business suit crouch down beside him. The man had black hair that was slicked back, a narrow face, and narrow eyes—though he could not tell what color they were, for he had them closed in a smile.

"So nice of you to drop in, Adam Pierson," the man said sweetly, using the name the people of Paris that were not immortals knew him by (and most immortals as well). "Or should I say, Methos Stone." The man opened his eyes, revealing them to be a striking gold.

This shocked Methos, for almost nobody knew who he really was, save his closest friends.

There was also the fact that this man looked strangely familiar. He couldn't quite place what it was but… 'Ah!' Methos thought. 'That's it! I've seen him in the watcher's database before. Now, what was his name?'

"In case you're wondering, the name's Saitou. Hajime Saitou."

The room was completely trashed. The table that resided there was lying on its side, the papers that Methos had set there the day before (Kenshin was as of yet unsure what they were) were all scattered all over the place, and pieces of broken glass from what appeared to be the side window were strewn over the floor.

It was then that Kenshin noticed a lone note that was attached to the wall with a single small throwing knife. He walked over to it, being careful not to step on any shards of the glass, and pulled the note from the wall. He was surprised to see that, instead of English or even French, the note was written in Japanese.

Kenshin read the note over once, and read it again to make sure he was not seeing things. It read:

_Himura Battousai,_

_If you wish to see this little "friend" of yours with his head still attached to the rest of his body, meet me at the abandoned warehouse no later than 8:00 tonight. Perhaps we might be able to negotiate a solution out of this seemingly hopeless situation._

Hajime Saito 

Kenshin could feel anger and pure fury start to bubble inside of him. How dare they touch what was his and his alone! It was almost as if he was losing control of himself to this anger, and he could almost feel all rational thought being shoved to the back of his mind. He started when he realized what was happening; he was changing. The Battousai was escaping from that place in Kenshin's mind that he kept guarded so carefully. He clenched his hands into fists, tearing the note. He had to get back in control, no matter what. His eyes started to bleed to gold before flashing back to violet once more. He fell to his knees, ignoring the shards of glass tearing into his shins, shaking violently as he clutched his head in his hands. Suddenly, he stiffened and stopped moving, his hands falling away from his face. He stood silently, his bangs shadowing his now bright gold eyes.

Saito made a huge mistake when he touched Methos, and he was going to atone for his crime. If Methos was hurt, he decided, his old foe would die. And if he were unharmed, Kenshin would do whatever it took to get him back.

Kenshin went upstairs to where his room was, went to the large closet, and grabbed one of his leather no sleeved tops, a pair of baggy black pants and his black trench coat to replace the blue button down shirt, khaki pants, and pale brown coat he currently donned. He changed quickly, ran back down the stairs after grabbing his katana from its resting place underneath his pillow, and rushed out the door.

If Saito would not give Methos up peacefully, his head would fly.


End file.
